Friday, September 2, 2016

I mean, It Has Method Right in the Name...

I have pushed through my comfort zone
to give something new, foreign, slightly dangerous a try.

You see, after much prodding and
taunting by some younger, hipstery co-workers, I finally given the
Pour Over Coffee Method a try.

The curve of the carafe. The scent of the brew. How totally sensual...

I have long been a Mr. Coffee
Pre-Programable Drip Coffee Maker woman. From my first four cup pot,
hidden discreetly on the allowable mini-fridge in my dorm room to the
fancy new ten cup carafe-slash-single serve pod pot my family gave me
for Christmas last year, I have always been a drip coffee maker.

While not an actual 'Mr. Coffee', I feel Joe approves.

Sure, I strayed from time to time.

Back in the 80's my parents gave me a
tiny espresso maker.

After visiting my NYC brother in the
90's I gave the French Press a go.

Mr. Coffee is convenient. Set it and
forget it until you get up in the morning to the earthy, heady scent
of freshly brewed beans. (I can say beans as, since my espresso
period, I have always ground my own beans.)

Mr. Coffee is familiar. My Mom used
one. So did my Grandma.

Although when we camped, my Mom used a
tiny percolator pot set directly over the camp fire and on special
family events Grandma would drag out the hefty 35 cup percolator. It
was fun to watch the coffee pop up into the glass bulb in the center
of the lid and even more fun to wash the stem and metal basket. If
you pushed those babies down into the dishwater with the correct
pressure and angle and probably torque, you could send tiny bubbles
flying all over the kitchen.

Most importantly, Mr. Coffee is safe.
There was NO direct access to boiling water. Sure, this results in a
barely tepid cup of coffee, once the tap water has heated up and
dripped through the grounds and filter into the pot which sits on a
heated burner. But seriously, how else can you get that authentic
burnt coffee diner smell?

Most recently I have taken to pouring
the freshly dripped coffee into a thermal carafe. Thus leaving not
one but TWO pots of stale coffee stains to wash when I get home from
work.

I feel it was a cruel twist of fate
that, as I strolled through the coffee maker aisle at Target,
wistfully staring at the Ninja Coffee Bar System, that I noted one
lone pour-over pot with a red clearance sticker. It was as if Joe
Garagiola himself were standing in front of me, bathed in heavenly
light. Only it wasn't Joe Garagiola, he was hunched over the Mr.
Coffees with his heavenly head in his hands.

Nope, it was more like an Indie Band
bass player with a man bun, excessive yet well-groomed facial hair,
and a local brewhaus t-shirt, staring at his I-phone arranging a ride
from Uber, bathed in the heavenly glow of an organic, fair trade
dark roast.

There was no judgement as I checked out
with my fancy new coffee pot. I stopped at the in-store Starbucks and
bought a bag of 'limited edition, single source, hand roasted' beans
and hurried home, crafting my reason for buying yet ANOTHER coffee
pot.

Rob just shook his head.

He does not drink coffee.

And now I am converted.

The coffee is smooth, although it does
take a little longer to prepare in the mornings.

I am working at convincing myself that
the process of warming the carafe, grinding the beans to a the
perfect medium – between coarse French Press and super fine
Turkish, waiting for the water to boil then slowly pouring said water
of said medium ground beans is making me mindful of my activities and
more appreciative of my mornings.

As opposed to making me late for
work...

But it's totes worth it.

For Realz.

My coffee pot collection from left, Turkish Ibrick, Bunn Espresso with built in frother, Bodum French Press, Birletti espresso pot. I feel my very international in my caffeine hobby.

Check out the featured post on the right for a story of how COFFEE has gotten me into trouble. One of many. Not the last...

6 comments:

Glad you made the change. I actually use all of the methods...we do the electric drip on most mornings at home, slow drip at work (and in hotels), and then chemex slow drip on the weekends. Also, we toss in some cold brew on weekend afternoons!

Well...I'm not a coffee drinker (gasp). Nope, I don't really care for the taste, but my college son does. While he was home for summer break, I sat with him in the morning while he drank his coffee, and I tea. Finally is convinced me try a cup of French Vanilla. I added rice milk and raw sugar and dipped my favorite little cookie into the brew. Still, I didn't like the taste, but I enjoyed the time with my son.

So sorry! I know exactly how you feel - I LOVE the web series - Comedians Driving around in Cars getting Coffee - but the scenes of coffee brewing and being poured make me want to run to the kitchen for a cuppa no mater the time!

Blah Blah...

I'm a landlocked beach bum here on the Coast of Illinois. No...not that Coast, you know, the one with broad shoulders. The other Coast. The one with tug boats and Arches and a bunch of ancient dead guys buried in Mounds.
I am an inadvertent sailor-thanks to my husband and our 15 foot handmade wooden sloop...for which I made the sails!
I am here to promote the beach bum lifestyle, even when surrounded by corn and clay and I hope to point out the everyday weirdness that is easy to miss because once you start seeing hairnets, you will never stop seeing hairnets.

I have a palm tree necklace. It set us back a whole ten dollars, purchased on the boardwalk in Destin, Florida during the first trip ...

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